FAITH - THE LIFE MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE



FAITH

Definition: Complete trust, confidence, or reliance.[1]

|Another definition has also become used as meaning: Unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence. Religion especially uses |

|this meaning. When one “questions” one’s faith, there is an implication that that “should not” be done. The only real argument for not |

|questioning it is that questioning it can sometimes weaken one’s foundation of confidence[2] – but that should be temporary. If a person |

|questions something rigorously and acts to find and solidify an alternative answer, then one “grows” and is much better off. The problem |

|remains only when one does not do what it takes to gain “closure” and is waffling in fear or shame, with the latter being implied from the |

|religious advocates, perhaps as a means of controlling one’s following.[3] |

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|To some extent, we are stuck with “faith” in those things we cannot “see” or prove, but this leaves us believing in many, many things that |

|have no basis. Sometimes our basis comes only from others telling us it is so. Also, there is much that people want to believe – that |

|someone or something will “rescue” them, “save” them, or that a reward will come from doing a particular thing or being a particular way. A |

|person who learns to “think”[4] can still choose some of the beliefs, but only after “reasoning” them out. |

To have faith one must believe that the wisdom, the means and the knowledge are available to accomplish what is desired and that it is possible that the person can get those. Just as we may conclude that turning a light switch will almost always cause a light to come on or that the sun will rise tomorrow, we can have “faith” in things we don’t see but are logically proven to be. So there ultimately is at least a large degree of proof, as long as it is based on sound reasoning.[5]

If one studies the mind and evaluates the evidence, there is overwhelming scientific evidence of more than adequate capability in the brain, some of it not always “conscious” at the time, to accomplish virtually anything, especially anything another person has accomplished. Of course, we must be realistic about the time it could reasonably take and allow for the barriers – and certainly we must allow time for acquiring the specific knowledge necessary to reach the objective. There is no justification for believing we will achieve something magically without acquiring the knowledge or doing the work, but some people so strongly wish that magic will save them and/or have failed to reason it out that they continue to believe in magic – often they just think that “believing, with emotion” is enough to have happen (without the action required!).

Intuition is sometimes relied on to “infer” that something is true, because it “feels” true, but this is a misuse of intuition, for intuition does not in each case provide accurate information. Instead, it is only some thinking that is unconscious that somehow gathers from all places in the body and mind and puts them into a “feeling”. That “feeling” is worth paying attention to and including in one’s thinking, but the “truth” behind it must be verified and put out into the light and/or the truth of the conclusion must be reached by other means[6] (such as checking out the “seeable” facts/evidence).

Having faith that “God will provide” and that is all that is needed is a misuse of religious scriptures. God (or evolution or whatever source you believe in) provided the incredible brain and body that enable us to think at an incredible level and have abilities that permit us to do virtually anything, but only action on our own will produce the results. Of course, “God” or the “higher self” or “intuition” might help guide us to the answer and the appropriate action, but only after the rational brain has thought it out. Thus the saying “God helps those that help themselves.”

The completely justified faith that you should have most is in yourself and your ability to somehow achieve what is necessary even though you don’t yet know all the steps that are needed, but know that a human being can do it. With this faith, you can be secure in life (along with the appropriate psychological thinking process[7]).

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[1] From the word “fides”, which is confidence, belief. “Fidere” means to trust. The base of the word is to urge, be convinced. Also to persuade. “Foedus” means a compact (something fixed [fastened] together).

[2] Perhaps based on believing something that is not true and in fact which should not be relied on.

[3] Most “shame” is a result of the one who wants to control (initially the parents) uses the concept of “you’re bad” (and therefore won’t be loved…), which of course a kid wants to avoid. Unfortunately, we carry it unnecessarily with us into our adulthood, meaning we are still, to some extent stuck in being a powerless, dependent child.

[4] See and read the pieces under “Thinking”, at , Life Management,   LEARNING AND THINKING

[5] For instance, many people believed that which league’s team won the Super Bowl would indicate how the stock market will be that year, but they were using the mistaken thinking called “coincidence”. Many people assume that because the real estate market is going up and has gone up fast for the last few years that it will therefore continue – not good thinking!!!

[6] See “faith” in . An excerpt: It is thus that we have scientists on the one hand - including for example top notch ones such as Erwin Schrodinger, Wernher von Braun, Albert Einstein - and religious and spiritual masters, on the other, who hold that faith and reason will both be necessary in order to comprehend reality in all its mystery, since reason is necessarily conditioned by just the four dimensions of space (comprising three dimensions as its elements) and time (one dimension) and as such rational reasoning, or faith, alone can only scratch the surface of reality.

[7] See , Psychology, Happiness section and SelfEsteem/Confidence section.

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